Dodge Caravan 2000 axle exploded

[nanette1985]

My son was driving my car to his friend's grandfather's funeral when the car started smoking. He drove it to the repair shop who looked at it and said the axle had exploded. $300 to fix. Plus they recommended new tires an alignment and an oil change.

I'm not an expert at this but I've never heard of an axle exploding. Is this normal, or should I find another repair shop.

 

[Zenmervolt]

A CV joint can "explode" if it the boot was cracked for a long time and it had been running without grease. (Or, more rarely, manufacturing defects or too many hard launches can cause a CV joint to let go.)

Usually when a CV joint lets go though the car stops moving because of the way an open differential works.

In this case I'd want to look at the supposedly "exploded" axle and see what happened.

ZV

 

[NutBucket]

Seems more likely that the boot broke and flung axle grease everywhere (which smokes and stinks like no other).

 

[Vic Vega]

It may not have actually "exploded"... the tech may have said this to avoid a drawn out discussion. I do this myself (although I work on 100 million dollar computer networks). When explaining complex problems to laymen sometimes it's easier to use understood language like "Yeah, it exploded... it needs replaced" than to give a specific, detailed and technical failure analysis.

Also, ask your son to go easy on the neutral drops. 🙂

 

[Vdubchaos]

CV joint most likely gave out.

You probably had a damaged Axle boot that was left unfixed. That usually leads to grease leaking out and dirt getting....which in time will make Axle give out like it did.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

CV joint most likely gave out.

You probably had a damaged Axle boot that was left unfixed. That usually leads to grease leaking out and dirt getting....which in time will make Axle give out like it did.

that had happened to me once, but like was said earlier once the joint fails the car ain't going anywhere. he wouldn't have driven it to a garage.

 

[JCH13]

I actually had an axle snap in half on me once, due to a manufacturing defect, but the vehicle was undrivable.

I agree with the 'busted CV boot' diagnosis.

 

[nanette1985]

Thank you. I looked up what a CV joint is and what a neutral drop is. I've learned a lot. So far it looks like the shop fixed it, which is what's important.